Discontinued features and modified functionality in Access 2010

This article lists the features that have changed in Microsoft Access 2010 from the features that were available in Access 2007. The following table also provides some reasoning for the feature changes, explains how the change might impact your Access database, and then gives you alternatives where other options are available.

Discontinued or modified feature

What changed

Alternatives

Add field task pane feature is replaced by the Data Type gallery.

Instead of using the add field options from the Ribbon in Datasheet view, you will be able to use the Data Types gallery to select various predefined data types and save and reuse your own. The Data Type gallery allows better sharing of data types and functionality. The add field task pane options allowed only single field templates while Data Type allows multiple field templates to be captured. Any changes made to the field list will be disregarded and macro calls to the Add Field task pane will fail.

AutoFormatgroup is replaced by the Themes group of options.

The AutoFormat group is no longer available in the Ribbon for the Form Layout view and the Report Layout view. AutoFormat is replaced by Themes.

Themes provide better formatting options for forms or reports because they are customizable, extensible and can be downloaded or shared with others through Office Online or email. They can also be published to the server. AutoFormats could only be used with Access; Themes are usable with other Office applications.

You can add the AutoFormats command to a custom Ribbon.

Calendar Control (mscal.ocx) is no longer supported

If you open a form that has the calendar control, the control will not be displayed in Access 2010, and you will get an error message indicating that your Access database contains a missing or broken reference to the control.

To fix this issue, remove the calendar control from your application.

You can use the datepicker feature to add a calendar control.

Data Access Pages (DAPs) will not be available.

You will not be able to design and execute Data Access Pages. Even though the DAPs are visible in the Navigation Pane, when you attempt to open them, you would see an error indicating that Access does not support the operation for Data Access Pages.

DAPs will continue to be stored in the databases and you can use previous versions of Access to use them. You can also use SharePoint to host Access on the Web.

Export, import and linking to data from Lotus 1-2-3 files will not be available.

Lotus lists will be visible in Access 2010 but you will not be able to work with them.

You would get an “Installable ISAM was not found” error message.

Use a previous version of Access to export, import or link data from Lotus 1-2-3 files.

Export, import and linking to data from Paradox 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 will not be available.

You can see the Paradox lists but you will not be able to work with them since the viewing data, export, and import options will not be available.

You would get an “Installable ISAM was not found” error message.

Use a previous version of Access to export, import or link data from Paradox 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 files.

Red 2 ISAM or Jet 2 will not be supported.

Export, import and linking to data from Access 1.0 and 2.0 (Red 2, or Jet 2) will not be available in Access 2010.

You would get an “Installable ISAM was not found” error message.

You will need Access 2007 in order to be able to export, import or link data from Access 1.0 and 2.0 (Red 2, or Jet 2) files.

Replication Conflict Viewer will not be available.

The Replication Conflict Viewer made it possible for users to visually display synchronization conflicts and enable resolution.

You can write your custom conflict resolution functions and mark them on the ReplicationConflictFunction property in the database replica set.

The Snapshot format (.snp) is a portable format that can be used to view Access reports on computers that do not have Access installed. Access 2010 users will not be able to export their reports to the Snapshot format.

You can export your reports in the XPS or PDF formats, or you can export to other Office programs such as Word or Excel.

Additional Information

For more information on what else is new in Access 2010 and other changes, check the links in the See Also section.